Continuing on with my Eastern European theme, after my recent trip to Budapest, i had to try my hand at making goulash. American goulash, from what I can tell, consists of elbow macaroni and canned chili, which I find to be fundamentally abhorent, so when I tried the true Hungarian version, I was blown away. Obviously they inundate it with Hungarian paprika (actually an import from Turkey, I learned), and it almost served the same purpose as MSG in Chinese food - it basically enhances the amount of drool that you invariably and uncontrollably produce after consuming a tiny amount of it. Other than that, there’s not much to it. I think it’s not really necessary to add much. It’s perfect in its simplicity.
The Hungarian version clearly uses some kind of lard or suet, which lends a pleasantly greasy (not two words one usually sees together, but in this case it makes sense) mouthfeel to the dish, but there was no way I was going to splurge on lard, so I just used butter. If you can’t find Hungarian paprika, you can use any kind, but I’d suggest to double or triple the amount because I’ve found varieties found in the US to be a little weaker in flavor, and you don’t want the sour cream to overtake it. The cooking time will depend on the type of pot you use - I used a large wok-type thing with a wide base, and it took about 6 hours for the meat to become totally tender. At times you will wonder whether or not the meat will overcook and become tough, but resist the urge to remove it from the liquid, which will remain extreamly thin until well into the cook. The liquid will thicken on its own just as the meat becomes fall-apart-melt-in-the-mouth-fork-tender. Make sure that small bubbles can be seen on the surface for the duration of the cook. My stove’s lowest setting is not hot enough to make the mixture bubble continuously, and so I had to turn the heat up to medium-low. If you don’t see bubbles popping throughout the cook, the food on the bottom of the pan can scorch. If you have patience, you will have super tender meat and a lusciously thick and creamy sauce.
In Hungary, they serve this thicker-sauce form of goulash with buttered dumplings, which are basically shapeless pasta made with lard and flour, but I wanted to make a small update and bake the entire thing with drop biscuits as the starch. The two components complimented each other well because the sauce is not quite liquidy enough to make the biscuits soggy, but when torn the biscuits absorbed it pretty effectively. The key here is baking the biscuits separately on trays, so that a solid barrier of baked biscuit can be formed, and then simply placing them into the pan with the cooked goulash. After that, the scallion flavor helps to enhance the other Eastern European flavors in the dish. The next time you have 6 hours free, definitely give this recipe a try and let me know how you like it!
Butter Count:
GOULASH:
3 1/2 lbs beed round, cut into 2-inch cubes
2 Tbsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium white onion, diced
1 cup sour cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp Hungarian paprika
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Season the beef with salt and pepper. In batches, in a large (I used non-stick) pot, brown the beef on all sides. As each piece of beef becomes browned, transfer it to a plate. When all of the beef is browned, transfer it all back into the pot, including all of the juices.
Add the onion and stir until translucent and browned. Add the sour cream and stir to combine. Add the garlic, tomato paste, Hungarian paprika, and cayenne pepper and stir to combine. Add enough water to cover the meat by one or two inches.
Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer, such that small bubbles continue popping on the surface. Check again about 20 minutes later to make sure that bubbles are still forming on the surface. Cook until the meat is tender, anywhere from 3 to 5 hours, depending on the pot.
Remove the lid and continue simmering until the sauce is thick and the beef is fully tender, anywhere between 15 minutes and 2 hours, depending on the pot. Resist the urge to turn the heat up anywhere past the medium setting.
DROP BISCUITS:
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sugar
4 Tbsp butter, melted and separated
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp chives, minced
Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and sugar. Add 3 Tbsp of the melted butter, the buttermilk, and the chives. Stir until the dough just comes together. It will be very wet and barely able to hold its shape.
Use a large spoon to drop 4 equal sized blobs of the mixture onto the baking sheet.
Use the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter to brush the tops of the biscuits.
Bake about 14 minutes, until golden.
Place the cooked biscuits on top of the goulash and continue simmering about 2 minutes to soak the bottom of the biscuits a bit.
Assembly:
1 Tbsp Parsley
Remove from heat. Sprinkle the whole pan with parsley.
Serve in bowls.